If you’re like us, Pandas, then you love spending time out in the great outdoors. We’re fans of picnics, for instance, but we also love more dynamic activities, too, from hiking and jogging to volleyball, swimming, and tennis. When the weather’s great, it’s wonderfully calming yet energizing to be out and about in nature, no matter what you do. And it’s not just a subjective positive feeling, either. The link between spending time outdoors and better health is backed by research.
Obviously, spending more time in nature sounds like common sense. And it is. But it can be easy to forget this when you’re all wrapped up in your daily responsibilities. It can take an old trend, repackaged in a more modern way, to remind you of what’s important. Take forest bathing, aka shinrin-yoku, as an example. It is an old concept that has gained global popularity in recent years.
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The Japan Times reports that shinrin-yoku, now a well-established concept in Japan, was first coined back in 1982 by Tomohide Akiyama, who was the chief of the Forestry Agency at the time.
The idea behind forest bathing is to relax and heal by taking in the forest through all of your senses.
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“It had long been common sense that you can reduce stress by immersing yourself in a beautiful Japanese forest, but it wasn’t proven with evidence at all. It was only in 2004 that the government gave grants of ¥150 million to look into the science of it to a team of researchers, which I was part of,” Qing Li, a clinical professor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, told The Japan Times.
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The main proven benefits of spending time forest bathing include:
- Enhanced immune cell activity
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower heart rate
- Reduced stress hormones
- Less anxiety, depression, and anger
“If you go on one forest bathing trip of three days once a month, immune levels in the human body can always be kept at high levels,” Li explains.
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According to Li, aromatic substances that trees and grass release to protect themselves from insects, bacteria, and fungi, known as phytoncides, are a key part of the health benefits.
These aromatic substances account for a bit under a third (30%) of the therapeutic benefits of forest bathing. The rest of the benefits come from other sensory experiences.
The main difference between forest bathing and nature walks or hikes is that, in the former case, you emphasize awakening your senses and mindfully observing nature.
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According to the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, spending time in green spaces is linked to physical and mental health benefits.
What’s more, you’re much more likely to lower your overall mortality rate when you spend more time outdoors. To put it simply, being outside lowers your blood pressure, reduces your risk of chronic disease, and leads to better quality sleep.
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